Two farms discontinued feeding fodder during the study, due to labor, cost of production, barley supply and mold issues

No milk response was noted in 2 of the farms. Both farms produced high-quality for-ages which were more economical to feed and pro-duced a better milk response

One farm was small (20 cows) & used a low-input, home made system. Home-grown forage quality was marginal, therefore fodder may have provided better nutrition and better milk response

Conclusions

Fodder systems may be a costly method of producing feed for dairy producers. However, fodder may have application in small-scale operations, farms with high land values where tillable acreage can produce high-value crops, or for producers experiencing severe, extended drought. Additionally, farms that have an excess of labor may benefit from a fodder system. Each farm must put pencil to paper to determine if implementing fodder in feeding management is economical, making sure to include ALL costs in deciding whether the money could be better spent growing or purchasing higher-quality forage.